


heaven and hell were words to me

by gearyoak



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, for the better, kind of, they're dramatic and shit goes wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23239588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gearyoak/pseuds/gearyoak
Summary: “But, wait, you were going to propose? When?”To answer Leon’s question, yes, Raihan is planning on asking him to marry him. He can’t, however, answer the second question because he didn’t know. There will be the days where Raihan will wake up and think to himself that today is the day. He’s going to bring home the Applin Milo always tries to politely shove onto him and he’s going to ask.That hasn’t happened yet. Obviously.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Comments: 14
Kudos: 177





	heaven and hell were words to me

**Author's Note:**

> hey i'm back
> 
> honestly, gang, this isn't a good one. i wrote this in a haze of sickness and i gave it like one read through to make sure it was a little coherent. i wanted to read something sweet during these weird times, so i wrote the obligatory proposal fic and thought i'd post it to put those good vibes out there. even if it's barely eligible, no one can say i didn't try lmao
> 
> this isn't really NOT set in the same alternate universe from my other fic, but you don't have to read that to read this. it's like 60k so i don't blame you if you don't want to bcuz lemme tell you, not any more readable than this lmao 
> 
> title is from hozier's work song

It’s been a long day. 

He leaves the gym last after what was _supposed_ to be a half day but ended up getting extended into a full day. Sebastian’s Sliggoo recently evolved, and Seb is a good trainer. An incredible trainer, Raihan would even go on to say. But sometimes evolving pokemon can be tricky and sometimes the pokemon themselves go through some growing pains. 

In other words, him and Seb and the rest of the trainers spend a lot of time preventing a flood in the stadium and go home late, soaking wet. 

The extensive walk from the stadium on one side of the castle to the other where his apartment is feels even more arduous than usual. A few times when he pauses to take off his sweatshirt to wring out the extra water - and _goo_ \- Raihan honestly thinks about just sitting down and texting Leon. The newly crowned Chairman is spending a week here in Hammerlocke so he’s at Raihan’s apartment right now, and what’s the point of lifting all those weights if it’s not for fireman-carrying people who don’t want to walk anymore? 

He does end up making it back home. Eventually. There’s wet shoeprints leading all the way back from the stadium that someone could track, even the spots where he’d stopped to lean against the wall to groan and seriously debate on texting Leon. 

Raihan spends a hefty amount of time messing with the sizable ring of keys he has - one for the vault, one for the gym, one for the arena _to_ the gym, a spare key to the vault, all the storage rooms, and a key to the apartment - only to find that his door is already unlocked. It opens and he’s hit with a sudden onslaught of Unovan seasoned food. The aroma of it, the heat of it, the sound. 

Mr. Rime is in front of the stove, hovering over a tall pot with a bubbling red sauce he was fretting over. Beside it on the back burner is a boiling saucepan full of water and a metal strainer is set off to the side, long and limp lasagna noodles draped along its edges. 

Raihan has never been more glad to have a boyfriend who’s pokemon is an aspiring chef. 

“Hi,” said boyfriend greets sunnily. He’s sitting on the arm of the couch closest to the kitchen, turned toward Mr. Rime.

“Smells good,” Raihan announces, because it’s what’s on his mind and that’s just about all he’s able to articulate at this point in the day. He goes to toss his keys onto the island behind Mr. Rime so he can shed his water-logged clothes, but they don’t get very far. The keyring seems to hit something right in the middle of its arc with an audible _tink_ noise and the air shimmers as the keys slide down the invisible surface. They land on the floor with a clatter.

Raihan stares at them for a long, long second where they lay. When he looks back up, Mr. Rime’s eyes are locked onto him. They’re brimming with flustered annoyance that’s clear to see from behind his Reflect barrier. It’s cut short and he goes back to shaking spices into his pot and tasting the sauce in what seems to be a state of distress. Raihan looks to Leon for an explanation.

“I’ve gotten myself grounded from the kitchen,” he says, arms crossed and looking appropriately dejected. Raihan continues to wordlessly blink at Leon, which leads to the other looking him over and asking, “Is it raining outside?”

“Gym trouble,” Raihan finally manages to get out, then quickly adds on, “ _You_ were cooking?”

Leon nods, brow furrowed and head tilted to one side as if he’s confused by the question. 

“You haven’t cooked in, like, two years,” Raihan says just in case he’s going delirious from exhaustion, because he’s pretty sure that’s something that’s true. Leon hasn’t turned on the oven for anything more than reheating food or making those Tyranitar shaped nuggets he pretends he doesn’t eat. 

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Leon tells him flatly. 

He tilts his head, too, the opposite side to Leon’s. “Is it?” 

For about half a minute, the only sound in the whole apartment is the bubbling sauce and the hissing water. Leon’s the one who falters first - because Raihan is _right_ \- and he cuts his gaze off to the side. “It’s - It was supposed to be special, but I wasn’t allowed to write down my Nan’s recipe because she was afraid I would lose it and someone else would find it, so I forgot what went in it and put in the wrong stuff - _really_ wrong stuff, because when I called out Mr. Rime to help, he didn’t seem too happy.” 

Raihan let’s him talk, too hung up on the words _was supposed to be special._ As subtly as he can, he wakes his phone out of its sleep mode to check what day it is, but it doesn’t ring a bell. He’s got about seven reminders set in his calendar app for their anniversary, because they’re competitive in everything they do and both of them try to be the first one to bring up the day every year. Raihan knows for a fact it’s nowhere near his birthday, and he’s coming up blank with what else today could be. 

“ - and then he wouldn’t even let me touch the eggs - “

“Why did it have to be special?” Raihan interrupts Leon to ask. If it is something he should have remembered, he could pull the _Long-Day-At-the-Gym Card._ Honestly, that’s the only reason he can think of as to why he could forget something important enough to drive Leon to cook. 

Leon’s eyes widen. The only light that’s on is the overhead one above the stove, but the smile that overcomes Leon’s face seems to light up the entire apartment. “ _Right,”_ he says as he stands up from the arm of the couch. When he wraps a hand around Raihan’s wrist, the still soggy fabric of his sweatshirt squelches uncomfortably loud in his ears. He grimaces but Leon doesn’t seem to notice, he doesn’t even falter for a second when he says, “I was going to ask if you wanted to get married.”

Raihan can probably count the times in his whole twenty-six years of life he’s been speechless. This is one of these times, and it still fits on the one hand. That was probably one of the last things he expected Leon to say - and not because he’s never _thought_ about it.

He looks down at the other, who’s in a baseball tee that’s too loose around his waist but tight around his chest and splattered with tomato stains, who’s wearing one of Raihan’s socks and one of his own, who’s got a smile that can light up cities and thinks, _of course I want to marry you_. 

Raihan looks at this man, who he loves so much, and thinks, _I can’t believe the little bastard beat me to it_. 

He lifts his arm out of Leon’s grasp to reach up and hold his face in both of his hands, then in a voice that’s sweet as honey says, “You can’t let me win a fuckin’ thing, can you?”

Leon’s giant grin falters for a second and only by a little bit. “Huh?” 

Another pause; Raihan blinks. “Aren’t you proposing?” 

“No,” Leon says slowly, and Raihan’s face must change in some way because he’s quick to add on, “Not right now, at least! I just, y’know - I’ve been told it’s a smart idea to talk about it first, just to make sure we’re on the same page and it doesn't put anyone on the spot.” His face scrunches again in confusion and Raihan’s a little reluctant to let him go when Leon leans out from between his hands. “But, wait, _you_ were going to do it? When?” 

And Raihan doesn’t really want to answer that question. He doesn’t really know how to, because he doesn’t have an answer. The thing is, he’s been _thinking_ about it a whole lot, but that’s about as far as his planning’s gone. There hasn’t been any in depth discussions and the thought crosses his mind every so often, but not enough to really set anything in stone.

Well, alright. That’s not exactly true either. A few people know about it, a few being everyone but Leon. 

The idea came to Raihan maybe six months prior, back when Milo had called him for help regarding the Applin population near Turffield. It’d been a harsh winter and the other gym leader has made it his life's work to make sure everything around him is healthy, thriving, and safe. So once the snow started melting, Milo was quick to notice that sightings of the little dragons were sparse - even more so than usual. Applin are already over-hunted by lovesick Galarians desperate to make a relationship work; it’s rare to find the pokemon anywhere other than rolling around in the apartment of a couple in the honeymoon phase. 

During the off season, Milo got to work setting up a small little sanctuary in the off-road on Route Five. He’d been hoping that Applin’s natural habitat and the proximity to one of the Nursery’s branches would make the breeding project a little easier, but dragons were always finicky. Raihan was called in to help early on, having experience in both dragons _and_ breeding them. 

He’s been making time to visit every other weekend or so. When there isn’t a flood costing him a few thousand dollars of damage in his gym and Leon’s somewhere in Wyndon being the Chairman, Raihan is typically with Milo picking through Applin nests. They’d be counting eggs, Milo would be talking about his gym trainers or incubation temperatures or something cute one of his Wooloo did, and Raihan would hear something trill. He’d look down and see one of the adolescent Applin had tumbled from its nest, pick it up to put it back with its mother, then get lost in thought _every single time._

Because it is a little weird that Applin are the designated “Love Pokemon” in Galar, isn’t it? Everywhere else gets, like, Luvdisc, which makes complete and total sense. The scales that are shed from the fish are heart shaped, for Arceus’ sake. How in the world did the little worm-like dragon that burrows into apples translate into longevity for a relationship in Galar? 

Then Milo had noticed he’d stopped moving, saw that he’d been staring at an Applin for too long, and smiled warmly as he asked, “Who’re you thinking about?” 

And in the moment Raihan hadn’t been thinking of anyone. But once he’d heard the question he was thinking about Leon. 

After that, it seemed like every time Milo caught sight of Raihan carrying around an Applin for longer than necessary, the Turffield gym leader would hover like a salesperson ready to close a deal. He’d have that warm smile and an excited set to his shoulders, waiting to latch on to any indication Raihan might have given that he was thinking about anything regarding Leon. For a while, Raihan would ignore it, go back to work and pretend that nothing huge was on his mind. 

Finally, when the idea had spent too long inside his head, Raihan asked the other gym leader, “It seems cheesy proposing with an Applin, doesn’t it?” 

But it was Milo, who’s supportive and encouraging in everything anyone does, lives in a world where nothing is impossible, told him, “Of course not! I think it’d be sweet.” 

Raihan had needed a second opinion. Someone who wasn’t Milo, because he was under the impression that none of his friends could ever have a bad idea in their whole lives. Raihan went to Nessa which, in turn, meant he went to Sonia. He quickly learned that _how_ he did it didn’t mean too much to them. The fact that he was _doing_ it meant way more. Raihan spent an hour listening - not talking with them, _listening_ \- to the two of them debate the best season to have a wedding and themes they’ve seen before and what colors work the best for what ceremony and what time they were holding it. Somewhere in the middle of it, he realized that if the question of _Is he going to ask Leon to marry him?_ was a spectrum, Raihan was leaning toward the end that’s answer was _Yes._

That was huge, way bigger than him. Honestly it felt like a decision he shouldn’t be making on his own. So, naturally, as a grown adult, Raihan went and asked his mother. She reacted much the same as Nessa and Sonia, only sobering when Raihan’s father thought to ask, “What’s his family think about it?”

Raihan’s eloquent answer after being properly flustered by his mother’s excitement was a dizzied, “Wha?”

“When I wanted to marry your mother, I asked her father for permission,” his dad explained, shrugging a little bit. “Maybe it’s old fashioned, but it’s a good way to find out if they’re gonna support you through the whole mess.” Raihan’s mother gives him a playfully scandalized look and he corrects himself. “Through the whole _experience._ The wedding planning was so much fun, honey. _”_

It _had_ seemed old fashioned to ask for someone’s hand in marriage. _Really_ really old fashioned. But then Raihan thought about the pictures of Leon and Hop that hang in the Postwick home, the framed uniforms each of the sons wore during their Gym Challenge, all of the shelves decked out with trophies and research papers stored away like real books. Leon’s family loves each other with their entire beings, and the two brothers were cherished like nothing else. Raihan’s dad had the right idea; it was probably best to know if they wouldn’t hate Raihan for stealing their son away or something. 

He didn’t follow his dad’s advice exactly because he’s never met Leon’s own father, but his mother is who he would have gone to, anyway. Raihan went to her home and brought it up as awkwardly as possible over the tea she made for him. He feels like an idiot the entire time but she fortunately takes mercy on him, tells him that she was honestly waiting for one of them to bring it up, was pleased that at least one of them thought they were ready. It was a calming conversation - one that he needed. Leon’s mother has always been grounding. She seemed to hold the sole ability of scaling down the enormity of the situation, talking about it in a way that didn’t make Raihan nauseous with nerves. 

Before he could escape Postwick unseen and untroubled, Hop arrived home from the Wedgehurst lab. And wherever the Professor’s Assistant is, Galar’s Champion is sure to be close by.

Hop and Victor had deemed Raihan’s presence there without Leon to be incredibly dubious. Upon asking for a reason, Leon’s mom gave the answer to their questioning like one might respond to someone asking about the weather. Instead of saying, “It’s still a bit nippy outside for the time of year,” she said, “He’s asking about marrying your brother.” Then she picks up their cups of old tea and puts her back to all three of them, pointedly ignoring Victor’s immediate exclamation of, “Oh _fuck_ yeah.” 

And maybe it’s because of Victor’s generally positive reaction that had Hop shrugging like he was barely interested and effectively surprising Raihan. It’s right about then that he realized that, to everyone else, this just seemed like a natural progression for him and Leon. That should have set him at ease, but then he got home that night and Leon had been there in his apartment to surprise him with their favorite takeout. All the nerves came rushing back at the mere sight of him, because what if Leon said no? What if he thought they were too young or he was too busy with the Battle Tower and the league? What if he just felt like marriage was too complicated or unnecessary? What if he didn’t see them working out like that?

That last one scares Raihan the most, honestly. Because if Leon says _no_ , what then? Doesn’t that mean they’re over? Because if Raihan wants to get married at some point - get one of those houses in Hammerlocke’s suburbs, white picket fence, a growlithe, maybe a kid or two, all the works - and Leon doesn’t, isn’t that it? They don’t want the same things, so peace out, time to skedaddle, better luck next time? 

_So,_ after Nessa and Sonia’s insight on weddings, his mother’s excitement, his father’s advice, Milo’s encouragement, and Leons’ family’s blessings, Raihan doesn’t ask. Because none of them are Leon, and no one can truly know what his answer would be to Raihan’s question. 

Gym Leaders talk, too, and he knows that for a fact because he _is_ one. The next time he meets up with a few of them in Motostoke after that season’s opening ceremony, the topic of the night is why Raihan hadn’t asked yet. It led to Gordie drunkenly chanting his name in an effort to hype him up, as if Leon was there with them and Raihan had been planning to ask right then. His efforts were genuine, though, and it somehow got the rest of the bar’s attention and soon the rest of the patrons joined in. One thing led to another, Raihan got a shit ton of free drinks, a few people telling him congratulations or happy birthday, and a complimentary slice of cake from the bartender. It was clear no one really knew what was going on, but Gordie’s excitement got everyone in the mood to party for _something_. 

Not a month after that, he got a text from Piers - the first in a while - and all it said was, _you’re a tragic man._ The only response he gave to that was a sad face and Piers’ silence resumed. 

So, to answer Leon’s question, yes, Raihan is planning on asking him to marry him. He can’t, however, answer the second question because he didn’t know. There will be the days where Raihan will wake up and think to himself that today is the day. He’s going to bring home the Applin Milo always tries to politely shove onto him and he’s going to ask.

That hasn’t happened yet. Obviously.

“Raihan?” 

“Yes,” he says, mustering up all his resolve. “I was planning on asking you.”

“When?” Leon asks once more. 

“I don’t know.” In order to get out from under the heavy and inquisitive stare of Leon’s eyes, Raihan goes about peeling off his soaked sweatshirt. He pretends that the zipper is giving him trouble and focuses on that so he can manage speech. “At some point.”

Hands bat away Raihan’s own and slide the zipper down in one try. He’s forced to look back up when those same hands push the fabric off his shoulders and move up to his face, cupping either side of Raihan’s jaw like he’d done to Leon earlier. 

“Are you being serious?” 

Raihan thinks about how to answer that. “Are _you_ being serious?” 

Leon nearly rolls his eyes, giving him an exasperated look. “Raihan - “

“Yes, alright? Yes, I am being serious.”

Leon leans away to grab the hat off from atop of his head, running his fingers through his hair and groaning. _“_ _Raihan._ My lord, I thought - my mum had made it seem like this was such a bad idea when I brought it up, I thought you were going to say _no_.”

The hat goes back onto Leon’s head, set askew and mostly backwards. Raihan stares at it in something that feels a little bit like shock. “Your mom,” he repeats out loud.

“I went over for the - “ Leon gestures weakly toward the mess of a kitchen that Mr. Rime is still breaking down over. “My Nan’s recipe, and she asked what it was for and I told her. Then she got this _look_ on her face. She told me I should talk to you about it. What else could that possibly mean besides her thinking it wasn’t a good idea?” His already put off expression intensifies when he looks back to Raihan. “Why are you laughing?” He asks, pouting.

Raihan isn’t _laughing,_ but he is biting his lip on a smile. “She knew I was going to propose,” he tells Leon.

Leon’s shoulders slump in understanding. “She didn’t think it was a bad idea.” 

“No. Well, she thought _you_ proposing would be a bad idea. For obvious reasons.” 

He looks back into the kitchen and practically whines, “I tried making _dinn_ _er.”_

“I’m sorry,” Raihan says to him, but he’s still smiling broadly so it might come off a bit teasing.

“I can’t believe my mum found out I was gonna get married before me,” Leon gripes, sulking over into the kitchen to knock on Mr. Rime’s reflect still separating the two. The pokemon glances over his shoulder skeptically before dropping the barrier and letting his trainer in. 

“Everyone knew before you,” Raihan confesses, watching as Leon goes about shutting off all the burners and relieving Mr. Rime of his work. “Wait - you’re saying yes?”

Leon pauses the shuffling of pots on the stovetop to look at Raihan curiously. “I guess I am. Yeah - _yes_ .” His shoulders set back and his brow is still furrowed a little, but he’s got that smile on his face that makes Raihan feel like he’s standing across from Leon on a pitch. It reminds him of all of their exhibition matches and even the ones before when they were stupid kids dancing around the topic of _will they, won’t they?_ Leon smiles at Raihan like that and he’s always known it meant they were on to something huge. Like what they were going to do is going to shake the world, no matter if it’s a battle or - “Yes, I’ll marry you.” 

Mr. Rime’s eyes light up from where he’s still standing next to Leon. He looks back and forth between his trainer and Raihan almost giddily. Raihan barely notices him and if it wasn’t for the squishing sound, he wouldn’t have noticed that his clothes were still wet when he grabs Leon and pulls him against his chest. He smells like Unovan seasonings and a little bit like the watermelon lemonade from the cafe that he’s been obsessed with lately; it’s an odd combination but Raihan doesn’t even think about letting go. 

“Holy shit,” Raihan sighs into Leon’s haphazardly placed hat, chest deflating on a breath that’s holding about six months worth of stress. 

Leon makes an agreeable humming noise and, in a voice that sounds as wet as Raihan’s clothes, says, “I’m so glad you asked.”

The arms around him tighten and Raihan can’t help but laugh through the warm, fizzling feeling that seems to emit from the length of his spine outward into the rest of his body. “I am, too. I _really_ wanted you to be the one to say yes so I didn’t have to be the one to walk down the aisle.” 

“What?” Leon picks his head up from Raihan’s chest and squints up at him with red-rimmed eyes. “Why?”

“I’m nearly seven feet tall, Leon. It’d look ridiculous.” 

Leon scoffs. “Stop it, no it wouldn’t.” 

“It would,” Raihan insists. He’s trying to pretend to be serious but it’s hard to do when he’s smiling so hard. “Think about it - the officiate’ll say, _‘All rise for the groom,’_ and then everyone’s gonna see me walk out with my 5’7” dad and they’ll be like, _‘Right, keep rising, this bloke’s tall as shit’.”_

A surprised bark of laughter escapes Leon and he drops his head back onto Raihan’s chest. He huffs out a mirthful, “Shut up.” 

“Do you want to be the one waiting at the altar?”

There’s a second of silence and Leon mutters, “ _No_.”

“I knew you wouldn’t,” Raihan says smugly. “You’d want to make an entrance because you’re dramatic.” 

“We’re both dramatic,” Leon claims, and he doesn’t argue because, y’know, that’s _fair._ “That’s why we work so well with each other.” Also very fair. 

“I love you,” Raihan says suddenly. He nudges Leon forward so he has clear sight of his mouth and kisses the smile he finds there. Chastely at first to lean back and again tell him, “I love you.” When Leon says it back with a hitch in his words and a blinding grin, he kisses him slower. It’s deep, and there’s even more of that watermelon lemonade but Raihan can’t complain, since he probably tastes like rain water - and besides, it’s Leon. Raihan would brave morning-coffee breath if it meant being able to kiss his boyfriend.

His _fiancé._

“Speaking of dramatic,” Leon says. He’s eyeing Raihan with something that’s somehow both fond and mischievous. “Are you going to make the announcement?”

Raihan gasps with unbridled excitement. “ _Yes_. I have the perfect idea.” 

-=-=-

The idea in question is executed a few days later via a post on pokegram. It’s warmly lit by the overhead light in Raihan’s living room, and the focus is set on the coffee table - more importantly, what’s on it. 

Leon’s hat is resting on the tabletop, its brim pointed up toward the ceiling. Peeking out from the inside of it is an Applin, its eyes closed and its tail perked up in obvious joy. The only thing that’s been put in the caption is two emojis, the groom and the ring. Comments and likes pour in, both Raihan and Leon are mentioned in a ton of posts, Leon’s phone pings with texts. Three articles are posted to news sites within the hour. 

One of the first comments that gets quite a bit of attention on the picture is from Piers. It’s the first time he’s touched social media outside of announcing concert dates. All his comment says is, _fuckin finally._

Raihan likes it.

**Author's Note:**

> so yeah. i don't know how to write engagement stuff evidently lmao apologies about characterization, untagged stuff, and jagged ass writing. if there's anything you want to see tagged that isn't let me know :^)
> 
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/boones_novac)


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